Sharingan Fate
by ambiencealikw
Summary: She had allowed herself to hope that he would stay when his three year restriction to Konoha was over. That they would build a family, a new legacy, a new Uchiha clan. Hinata x Sasuke.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Welcome to my newest story, Sharingan Fate. Here's the first two chapters, with the third to follow hopefully in the next few days. Please leave me reviews, I love feedback!**

**Disclaimer: None of the characters from Naruto Shippuden belong to me =]**

**~SHARINGAN FATE~**

Chapter 1: 

Lady Hinata Hyūgasat calmly in the middle of a serene clearing, appearing to study a perfect white lily that rested in her cupped hands. In actual fact, she was using her Byakugan to scan the forest around her. She was using her eyes to track three men who were stalking her through the forest. Hinata stood up suddenly, placing the lily behind her ear stoically as she used her other hand to grab a kunai from her pouch. Pulling it up in front of her, she calmly deflected the three kunai that had been racing towards her prone figure. Stepping aside, even more littered the ground beside her.

She moved swiftly and gracefully into the Gentle fist stance as one of the three figures launched themselves at Hinata. Moving forwards, Hinata shortened their advance, causing them to stumble and curse. With a small smile adorning her face, she jumped towards him and attacked, pushing her friend backwards with the force of her taijutsu.

Kiba launched into the air, laughing as he disappeared back into the forest. She shook her head and smiled, looking pleased that she had held him off so easily. Her next opponent began to approach her stealthily through the trees and Hinata began to run towards the forest. Scanning the forest above her, she saw quickly that a figure was descending onto her, about to jump on her head and tackle her to the ground.

Using a log poking awkwardly from the ground, Hinata halted her progress and pushed off from the log into a completely different direction. Hinata laughed as her cousin Neji tripped on thin air and crashed onto the ground. It had been easy to avoid the attacks of Kiba and Neji, but Hinata knew that they had only been trying to distract her so that her final opponent would get her when her guard was done.

Unfortunately for them, their plan was quite transparent, and so she had been keeping a very careful eye on the Uchiha prodigy. At that moment, Sasuke launched towards her, lightening chakra exploded from his hand in a blazing blue Chidori. Hinata jumped straight up into the air, hiding herself in its high branches. Sasuke's lightening attack crashed into the tree, causing it to topple over.

Cursing, Hinata leapt onto the next tree, only to be surprised by Neji and Kiba jumping at her from different directions. She spun in the air, throwing kunai at their faces. Kiba dropped to the ground to avoid the attack, while Neji deflected her kunai with a flash of steel. He then used his own kunai to latch onto a branch, swinging his legs towards her. He kicked her in the stomach and Hinata fell to the ground.

Neji dropped to the ground beside her, his Byakugan eyes fixed on her unwaveringly. Kiba and Sasuke flashed to her side, and Sasuke reached down, pulling the lily away from behind her ear. He studied it with a smile and deactivated his Sharingan.

"We win,' he said with some satisfaction. Neji helped her stand up, and she brushed the dirt from her clothes with a smile at her friends.

"You always do," she responded, looking up into Sasuke's onyx eyes. He nodded, smirking in his usual way. Together the four ninja walked slowly back towards Konoha.

"You did well, Hinata," Neji commented quietly. "You deflected mine and Kiba's attacks with little difficulty. You have become quite strong." Hinata glowed with happiness, linking her arm through his affectionately.

"Thank you, Neji-niisan," Hinata said, blushing. She and her cousin were getting on better than ever recently, and it made Hinata very happy. Neji was always very respectful to her and was now training with her to help her get stronger, as well as her teammate Kiba and their fellow Konoha ninja Sasuke. She was no longer the stuttering, bumbling, _weak _Hinata. She was confident, powerful and intelligent, a true Hyūga heir.

Kiba left them; trailing over towards his family home on the outskirts of Konoha, while Hinata, Neji and Sasuke continued on towards the village. Soon, Neji left them as well, needing to report to Lady Tsunade for his next mission. This left only her and Sasuke, walking through Konoha companionably towards the Hyuga Manor.

Since Sasuke had returned, he and Hinata had become quite close. He had told her a few months ago that his mother and her mother had been sisters, something that she had been previously unaware of. The Hyūga's were his last remaining family, and so they had made him feel welcome. Hinata especially had done everything she could to make him comfortable and now they were firm friends.

"Sasuke-kun," she said to him with a warm smile, "Come inside. I'll make us something to eat." Sasuke looked down at her with a fond smile and nodded, following her into her small apartment.

Until Hiashi died and made Hinata the clan leader, Hinata had decided to have her own apartment built on the grounds of the Hyūga compound. Being one of the richest clans in Konoha, this was no issue. Hinata enjoyed living in her own apartment; she could be close to her family without feeling suffocated and it made her feel independent.

Hinata watched Sasuke settle down in her kitchen as she walked around, preparing a platter of food for the two of them. He, as he always did, sat properly, his back completely straight as he glanced around with his blazing Sharingan eyes. No matter how many times he came here he always catalogued everything in her house, taking note of the nearest exits and what could be used as a weapon.

Even after nearly three years he was still on edge, preparing for an ambush. She sympathised with him, knowing how difficult he had found it to adjust to the quieter life of living in Konoha.

Hinata studied him silently as he made his appraisal of the room. He had changed so much and yet she could tell that he was still living in the past, haunted by his demons. He tried hard to fit back in with his fellow ninja, but living with Orochimaru and finally taking his revenge on his brother had taken its toll on him. It probably didn't help that he was still trailed by ANBU and was watched always with deep suspicion. He had been a loner before, but now he could count his true friends on only a number of fingers.

When he had finally relaxed, she sat down across from him, placing the food between them. In sync, they bowed, murmuring their thanks for the meal and then began to eat.

As always, Sasuke went straight for the cherry tomatoes that she never failed to buy for him. After training he nearly always came back to her apartment, and so she was always prepared. He never said anything about it, Sasuke didn't talk very much, but Hinata always knew that he appreciated the thought.

She cherished her friendship with him, and in his own way, he seemed to care for her as well. It was comfortable between them, and Hinata relished the thought of him being a part of her life for a very long time. Her father had even been talking of them marrying when she turned 21, and although it had surprised her, she also found herself looking forward to it. As she picked at the food, she began to daydream of little Sasuke's running around outside the window, she could almost hear the sound of their laughter in her home. Dreamily, Hinata smiled.

"Hinata," Sasuke said softly, breaking her from her reverie. She turned to look at him, surprised at the uncomfortable aura emanating from him.

"Hai, Sasuke-kun?" She responded, frowning at him in concern. He frowned also and turned to look out the window.

"My three years of being restricted to the village are nearly up. I intend to leave," he told her seriously, still avoiding her gaze. Hinata looked at him in shock, her eyes immediately brimming with tears. She had begun to hope that he would stay, begun to think of the future, their future, but now he was going to leave after all.

"I'm sorry, Hinata," he said, shifting uncomfortably in his chair.

"Sasuke-kun," she whispered helplessly. "Why? I thought..."

"I know," he supplied when she drifted off. "But... I can't do it Hinata. I can't stay in this village anymore. It's... suffocating me. Everyone watches me with suspicion, the elders wait for me to trip up, sending their ANBU to stalk me. Always, I am watched. I just want to be left alone," he tried to explain.

She nodded slowly, understanding how he felt. It may have been nearly three years but Sasuke hadn't forgotten, and neither had the villagers.

"I understand Sasuke-kun," Hinata said, looking at him with sad lavender eyes. "So, three months then?"

"Hn," he grunted, his face expressionless.

"Where will you go?" She asked him. He shrugged and Hinata looked down to study her shaking hands. "Will you return?" He looked at her sharply, hesitated and then slowly began to shake his head.

The grief overwhelmed her and Hinata felt her heart break in her chest. In three months, such a short amount of time, Sasuke would be gone from her life, forever. She tried to imagine what it would be like without him. Her training would suffer, she was certain. Neji and Kiba were too quick to let her win, whereas Sasuke would continue to push her to her limits so she would become stronger. She would also lose a very good friend. They had grown close and she had come to depend on him and his company. She barely dared to admit, but she had even come to love him in these past three years. He would leave a big, empty hole in her life.

"Sasuke-kun," she said quietly, when she had calmed down a little.

"Hai," was the simple response. She looked up at the restless Uchiha with pleading eyes.

"Will you grant me one thing, Sasuke-kun?" She begged him, her stomach dropping with fear as he saw his reluctance. "Just this one thing to make me happy."

"Hinata... I can't stay," Sasuke began warily.

"Ano, I know Sasuke-kun," she interrupted. "I understand why you need to leave. I want something else."

"What is it?" Sasuke asked curiously. Hinata dropped her eyes and stared down at the table.

"Please, Sasuke-kun," she begged. "Give me a child, your child." Sasuke's eyes widened with shock and he jumped to his feet.

"What you ask is impossible, Hinata," he cut out angrily, about to leap out the door.

"No, Sasuke-kun. Please wait. Hear me out," Hinata called out, jumping to put herself between him and the door.

"Hinata, I cannot do as you ask," Sasuke said, standing stiffly before her. She walked up to him, catching his shirt with her desperate hands.

"You're going to leave, Sasuke-kun," she said quietly. "And you're taking our whole future with you. We were going to get married one day, have strong, beautiful children. When you leave, all of that will be gone and I'll be alone." He watched, agonized, as the tears began to flow freely down her cheeks.

"Hinata... please don't ask this of me," Sasuke whispered, raising a hand to brush the tears from her face.

"Sasuke-kun, please leave me with something to remember you by. Something to ease the pain and grief in my heart. No-one needs to know that the baby is yours; I'll bring them up as a Hyuga if I must. But please, leave me with something. You can't take everything away from me and leave me with nothing. Give me at least part of the future you're taking with you!" Hinata entreated the raven-haired boy.

"Hinata," he pleaded. "Hinata, this is madness!" She shook her head firmly, gripping her eyes shut to halt the flow of her tears.

"This is what I want, Sasuke-kun. I will revive your clan for you with a son or daughter and you can leave the Uchiha legacy here with me. Then you can go where you like, knowing that your family is here, safe, and that the Uchiha bloodline will not be lost," Hinata explained, determined to sway him. She could see the hesitation in his eyes and pounced on it.

"Do this one thing for me, Sasuke-kun, please," Hinata said quietly. Sasuke shut his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose wearily.

"Hinata, I don't know if I could get you pregnant and just leave you and the baby here to fend for yourself. I'm not the kind of man who could do that," he explained, looking upset. Hinata stood back, considering this.

"As long as you stay in contact with me in some way then I will be happy. We'll set up a place where we can leave each other notes, say once a month," Hinata said slowly. "I'll tell you about our baby, send you pictures, and you can tell me where you are, what you're doing." Sasuke looked at her, pained.

"Hinata, are you sure this is what you want? Truly?" Sasuke asked, watching her with careful onyx orbs for any hint of doubt.

"Hai, Sasuke-kun. This is what I want, very much," Hinata said decisively. He nodded and pulled her against his chest, resting his chin against the top of her head. Sasuke inhaled her soft scent and shut his eyes.

She was making it more and more difficult to leave, something he had vowed to do as soon as he had been told of his three-year restriction to the village. He would do this for her and then, no matter how much it hurt her, and him, he would leave. He needed to, for the sake of his own sanity.

It had been difficult for them to keep their union secret, especially from her closest friends and family. Neji suspected something, she knew, but he never said anything. Hinata's feelings were all over the place; happiness, of course, about being with Sasuke, even considering his reserved temperament, sadness, that it would soon be over, and fear, always, that they would be found out. She needed an ally, someone to confide in who could help her. Although she had grown stronger and more confident in the past few years, Hinata knew that this was not something that she could do alone.

This is what had brought her to stand in front of the Lady Hokage's door, studying it with a worried frown as she struggled to summon the courage to open it. The choice was eventually taken from her as it opened to show the concerned face of Shizune.

'Hinata-sama, is everything alright?'

'Hai, Shizune-sama. I'm here to see Hokage-sama. Is she here?' Her voice shook with nerves and Shizune nodded, allowing her to enter despite her obvious concern.

'Shizune,' Tsunade barked after taking one look at Hinata, 'go and fetch some more sake.'

'Hai! Tsunade-sama!' Shizune responded sharply, rushing from the room without a single glance back. The large blonde woman then gestured for Hinata to take the seat placed in front of her desk. The silence stretched on and Hinata shifted uncomfortably in her chair, wondering where to begin.

'I need your help, Hokage-sama,' Hinata said eventually, staring at the floor. Her confidence was gone; all that was left was a shaky thread of hope that Tsunade would be able to aid her.

'Tell me everything,' Tsunade demanded, sounding bossy despite herself. She always forgot to be careful around Hinata. Although the woman had come a long way from the blushing, stuttering girl she had once been, Tsunade was conscious that it would not take much for the Hyūga to lose the confidence she had gained.

So Hinata told her everything, about Sasuke, how she loved him, how he had to leave, not to betray Konoha but because he felt trapped, about their plan, and finally about the life that might already be growing inside of her. Tsunade was shocked by the things that had been happening right under her nose. The ANBU had not reported Sasuke acting suspiciously so she was very surprised that they had managed to keep up the ruse for nearly two months.

She studied her hands and considered how they could possibly pull this off. Sasuke leaving and Hinata falling pregnant at roughly the same time would be too much of a coincidence for their fellow ninjas to accept blindly, particularly with no other men in Hinata's life to explain the baby. That would have to dealt with, and very soon at that. For now, her priority was to decide what to do about Sasuke.

'Get in here Uchiha,' she commanded. Hinata watched, confused and then surprised as Sasuke pushed open the window and stepped open. Her face softened as she realised that he had cared enough about her to watch out for her. Tsunade hid a smile as she inwardly marvelled how alike the Uchiha was to Kakashi, his sensei. The Copy Ninja also had an aversion to using her door, usually hanging around outside her window until she was ready to acknowledge him.

Sasuke stood beside Hinata, a blank look masking his emotions as he calmly met the Hokage's gaze. Her eyes flitted between the couple as she came to a decision. She nodded once and even Sasuke couldn't hide his relief. Some of the burden lifted from his shoulders. Hinata and his child would be safe and cared for. He would be able to leave now without the nagging guilt that had assaulted him since agreeing to Hinata's request.

'Come back tomorrow, Tsunade ordered. Hiding a smirk, Sasuke nodded and bowed. He grasped Hinata's hand and squeezed it with a small smile, and then he was gone. Shizune re-entered the room, now carrying the Hokage's beloved sake. He had left just in time.

'That will be all, Hinata,' Tsunade said kindly. Hinata stood up and smiled at the Hokage, bowing before she too left the room. Her spirit felt lighter and her hope that perhaps everything would be alright after all put a skip in her step.

Things were occurring quickly now that they had Lady Tsunade on their side. Hinata had begun to see Sai romantically, whereas Sasuke had started to back off. She had no feelings for the emotionless ANBU ninja obviously, but Sai's looks were similar to his own and so when their child was born, there would be no doubt amongst the villagers over the father presented to them.

He could see the benefits in the plan. Sai was loyal to the Hokage now that Danzo was dead and ROOT disbanded so the pale ninja would keep their secret. This meant that his family would be safe, and he would be able to leave behind this terrible feeling of suffocation that clawed at his chest. He didn't belong here, hadn't done so for a long time, despite what Naruto might think.

At least this time things would be different. He had achieved his revenge, bitter though it was in hindsight. Lady Tsunade had given him a top secret file that was addressed to him from the previous Hokage. Only the death of Danzo had allowed the seal to be broken and its contents to be read. The truth had shattered him.

Itachi's death had been for nothing. He was a hero in the eyes of the village, and Sasuke had ensured that the truth was made public so that his older brother would be honoured for his sacrifices. Sasuke was still angry of course, although their deaths had been necessary, he still lamented the death of his clan, leaving him as its sole heir.

Lady Tsunade had promised him that he wouldn't be followed by Konoha ninja, or labelled as a missing-nin. She would fabricate a reason for him leaving, some secret mission or another. Her public reasons for doing so would be that his three year restriction to the village was over; she intended to use his skills for the benefit of Konoha.

Privately, of course, it was just an excuse to allow him to leave safely. Hinata would rest much easier if she knew that Sasuke wasn't being pursued as a traitor. Tsunade also believed that Sasuke would return one day, and that this would make it much simpler. He did nothing to deter her from this train of thought. Although he considered it unlikely, it was impossible to tell what the future may hold. She could even be right.

So now he went around the village, saying farewell to his comrades, telling them that he was being sent on a top secret mission for the Hokage and that he was unsure of when he would return. They all swallowed it easily. It was believable, after all. Despite his defection, he was still one of the strongest ninjas in Konoha.

Finally he was ready to leave, and all that was left was for him to talk to Hinata one last time. He knocked on her door politely and listened with his heightened senses as she made her way to the door. She opened it and looked up at him with a sorrowful smile. Sasuke entered her home and followed Hinata to the couch where they stiffly sat beside each other.

The silence stretched on awkwardly as they struggled to find the words to say to one another. Sasuke was trying to figure out how to apologise for abandoning her and their future together, how to tell her he'd miss her and think of her often, how she was the only person who had made his life in the village bearable, how he was thankful to her support and encouragement, how leaving her was one of the hardest things he'd ever done. For a man of extreme reservation, it was near impossible to force the words from his lips. Hinata was just trying to figure out how to tell Sasuke that their plan had been successful. Finally, she just took a deep breath and blurted it out.

'I'm pregnant.' Sasuke's head whipped around and he looked at her with shock. Hinata was pregnant? Before, it had just been a possibility, something that he had tried not to think about. Now, it was a reality. Hinata was pregnant with his child. He looked down at his trembling hands, trying to decide whether or not it made a difference to his plans that he would be a father.

He had no idea what to do.

'I found out yesterday,' Hinata whispered, when it was obvious that Sasuke wasn't going to say anything. He nodded, watching as the emotions flitted across her expressive face. She was happy, but just as scared as he was. He frowned when Hinata started to cry.

Moving closer, he wrapped an arm around her back and allowed her to sob into his shirt. It made him uncomfortable, but his need to make Hinata feel better overrode everything else. She cried for a long time and Sasuke rested his face against her neck, breathing in the reassuring scent of her neck, feeling her soft blue hair rubbing against his face, finding comfort in her as she did in him.

After she had calmed down, she pulled back and told him everything she knew about the baby. She was already two months along with a healthy baby boy and his heart swelled with joy. A son, he was going to have a son. They discussed his plans, and again she made him promise to contact her often. When he finally left, his heart felt much lighter.

Much to Hinata's delight, Sasuke kept his promise, leaving her correspondence in a secret place on the outskirts of Konoha.

She made her way there today, although her pace was slow. It was harder now that she was nearly 6 months along. The swell of stomach was very noticeable and was beginning to hamper her movement.

The villagers had started to gossip about her and Sai, outraged at his refusal to make her an honest woman by marrying her. Hiashi in particular was furious, and refused to even look at her, such was his disappointment. Hinata didn't care about any of it, because growing inside of her was Sasuke's child, her future, and nothing was more important to her than this connection with the man she loved.

Her last letter had included an ultrasound of her baby and Hinata wondered what he had thought of it. He had wanted to be kept updated on the progress of her pregnancy and she knew he would have wanted to be there to witness her first ultrasound.

She finally reached the tree that hid their letterbox but found it empty. With a frown, she took in her surroundings, activating her Byakugan to see if he had placed it elsewhere. One a nearby tree she noticed a piece of paper held in place by a kunai. Hinata pulled both the note and the kunai down, looking down at the paper with a tender smile. It held only two words.

'Izoukei Uchiha.'


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: 

*4 years later*

Hinata looked out the window, watching protectively as her young son ran around outside. He was a quiet child, though inquisitive. Everything was interesting to him, and there was nothing her little Izoukei loved more than to explore the large gardens of the Hyūga compound. It filled her with pleasure to see his black eyes light up with life and happiness. This is what Sasuke had wanted for their son; a happy, carefree childhood.

She spared a moment to wonder what the Uchiha was up to. Although he still checked in every few months via their correspondence, he still told her very little of what he was doing or where he was going. All she knew was that he moved around a lot, taking advantage of his freedom. Hinata missed him, but all that truly mattered was that he was happy and living the life he wanted.

Her only regret was that she couldn't tell Izoukei about his true father. Sai was good to her boy, to both of them, but it wasn't the same. All Hinata could do was try her best and hope that Sasuke would be as proud of their son as she was.

A knock at the door pulled her attention away from Izoukei and his absent father. Opening it, she found Sakura, who was looking down and scolding the wiggling ball of energy she held in her arms.

'Shinriku, settle down.' Hinata laughed and allowed her pink-haired friend and her son to enter. As soon as Sakura put the boy on the ground, he rushed off to join Izoukei outside.

'Sorry about that Hinata. He's really restless today,' Sakura apologised, walking over the same window that Hinata had been standing at only moments before. Hinata shook her head and smiled.

'Its fine Sakura, I understand. He's just like Naruto that way.' The two friends laughed, and watched as their sons greeted each other and began playing one of their mysterious games. It appeared to be along the lines of a top secret ninja mission, but as both boys were so young, Hinata knew that there would be no danger.

'So, Izoukei will be four soon,' Sakura mused, watching the black-haired boy as he ran and hid behind a tree.

'Hai, he's growing up so quickly,' Hinata agreed wistfully, thinking of how tiny he had been when he was born. Her whole world had narrowed in focus as her heart had swelled with love for this tiny human being. His eyes had blinked open then, and she had gasped to see that they were the same lilac shade as her own. Sasuke had been bemused but warned her that the Sharingan wasn't evident from birth as the Byakugan was, so there was still a chance for him to inherit the Uchiha kekkei genkai. With a sad smile Hinata moved away from the window to put on the kettle.

The two kunoichi spent a pleasant afternoon catching up on the village gossip, and Sakura moaned about Naruto spending more and more time with Lady Tsunade. She was priming him to become the next Hokage, as well as take up the Namikaze legacy left behind by his father. This left Sakura alone most of the time to deal with their incredibly energetic three-year old child, Shinriku.

Hinata was happy that their two children were friends. Their two heads, one black and the other strawberry blonde were often bent together as they planned their next lot of mischief. They kept her and Sakura busy, but Hinata preferred to be busy. She had far less time to think about Sasuke that way.

Suddenly Shinriku rushed inside and flew into his mothers lap, crying loudly. Hinata couldn't understand his words but could tell that Izoukei had scared him in some way. She ran out the door, searching for him desperately.

When she found him, he was sitting up in his tree house, his arms wrapped around his knees and his face hidden. He was shaking like a leaf.

Hinata jumped up and pulled her little son into her arms, whispering words of comfort as she brushed a hand through his hair reassuringly. He didn't seem to be injured, so she just held him and waited patiently for him to calm down.

He did eventually and she grasped his chin gently and pulled his face up so that she could look at him better. His eyes were squeezed shut and she frowned as he resumed shaking.

'Izoukei, what's wrong? Do your eyes hurt?' He shook his head, still refusing to open his eyes.

'Then what scared you, my little warrior?' She asked softly. He turned his face away and slowly opened his eyes. When he finally met her worried gaze, she gasped.

At a little less than four years old, Izoukei Uchiha had manifested the Sharingan.

She needed Sasuke.

Lady Tsunade agreed that it would be necessary for Sasuke to return, if only for a short while. Izoukei needed reassurance and some training; otherwise he could be a danger to others. Although the young boy hadn't hurt his friend Shinriku when his Sharingan eyes manifested for the first time, the potential to injure would always be there without the correct training.

Hinata was expecting Sasuke's next correspondence within the next few days, and so left him a letter explaining what had happened with their son and asking him to return.

In the interim, Izoukei was skittish and Hinata spent even more time with him than usual to reassure him that he hadn't done anything wrong, and that there was nothing wrong with him. However, her limited knowledge of the Sharingan wasn't enough to ease his fears. Always a sweet child, he now became moody and prone to tantrums. Getting him to go to bed was a nightmare.

He was restless at night, tossing and turning and waking up frequently. She had just managed to get him back to sleep after an hour long battle when a light knock sounded at her door. She glanced over at the clock, seeing that it was just after one in the morning. Hinata picked up a kunai and slowly approached the door, opening it a tiny crack as she peered at the person standing outside her home.

Seeing who it was, she dropped the kunai, whipped open the door and flung herself into the man's arms.

'Sasuke,' she whispered, smiling happily into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her carefully and rested his chin on top of her head. 'It's good to have you home.'

He pulled back and nodded, and she looked up at him happily. The Uchiha looked much the same, although he appeared to have grown even taller and his shoulders had gotten even broader. He was a tall, imposing man.

'Kaa-chan,' came a small voice from the hallway. 'Who is that man?' Hinata turned to look at her son and beckoned him to join her. He did so, looking shyly up at Sasuke, who was looking down at the boy with wide, shocked eyes. She had sent him pictures of course, but it was different to see the little boy in person. His son.

'Izoukei, this is Sasuke. He's going to be staying with us awhile,' Hinata explained, smiling at her son fondly.

'Why?' Izoukei insisted, looking at the tall man suspiciously. Hinata led him over to the couch and sat down, pulling him onto the seat next to her. Sasuke followed suit, sitting down in a chair opposite to them. Father and son studied each other wordlessly, while Hinata smiled at both of them.

Izoukei turned to his mother and pouted, looking annoyed that she hadn't answered his question. Sasuke smirked and leaned back in his chair, while raising an eyebrow at Hinata questioningly.

'It's alright Sasuke. You can tell him the truth.' Sasuke nodded while Izoukei looked confused.

'What truth?' He demanded, looking between the two adults. Hinata laughed and kissed his forehead.

'Izoukei,' Sasuke began, looking uncomfortable, 'I'm your father.' Izoukei blinked, slowly turning to look at his mother for confirmation. She nodded seriously. He sat silently for a few minutes, considering, then he looked up at the man claiming to be his father. He shook his head furiously, disbelieving.

'No he's not,' the little Uchiha stated imperiously, as if that was the end of the matter. Hinata looked down at her son tenderly and ruffled his hair. He looked up at her, annoyed, and pushed her hand away. He then turned to stare grumpily at the impostor claiming to be his father.

Sasuke smirked, leaned forwards, and activated his Sharingan. Izoukei gasped, taking in the deep, hypnotic red of Sasuke's eyes that looked so similar to his own. He than ran away into his bedroom, managing to push his door shut. Hinata watched him go while Sasuke looked bemused and deactivated his Sharingan.

'That went well,' Hinata mumbled.

'Hn,' Sasuke agreed.

'So now what,' she mused, turning to look out the window.

'We'll go see the Hokage in the morning,' Sasuke responded. 'She'll know what our next step should be. Hinata nodded, realising that he was correct. Thanks to her discussion with Lady Tsunade a few days ago, the busty woman would have had plenty of time to come up with a good plan.

With this decided Hinata got up and prepared the spare room for Sasuke. She had meant to do it as soon as she had sent the letter to him, but Izoukei had clung to her and demanded her undivided attention.

He stood at the door watching her as she made up the bed for him with fresh sheets. She seemed content to bustle around in silence but he had a few things he wanted to say.

'You've done well with our son, Hinata,' Sasuke said quietly. Hinata paused and looked over at him. She was blushing but she looked quite pleased.

'Thankyou, Sasuke,' she responded. 'It's been hard at times, but Sai does what he can and Neji comes over a lot.'

'Where is Sai?' Sasuke asked curiously. 'Doesn't he live here?'

'You've changed,' Hinata said, deflecting his question. Sasuke raised a single eyebrow at her and waited for to elaborate. 'You never used to be so talkative,' she teased. Sasuke smirked.

'I guess I have changed,' Sasuke said with a shrug, 'but that still doesn't answer my question.' Hinata looked at the floor, frowning.

'He doesn't live here anymore. I didn't really know him that well and he wasn't right for Izoukei. The older Izoukei got, the more Sai seemed to avoid the house. We, well we spilt, for lack of a better term. It's for the best,' Hinata said. Sasuke frowned, becoming angry that Sai had abandoned Hinata and Izoukei after he had promised to look after them.

'You never told me,' Sasuke grumbled. Hinata sighed.

'I knew you would have felt that you should come back, even though you needed to stay away. I didn't want to take away your freedom; that was never my intention.'

Sasuke nodded, accepting her answer. She knew him too well. That was exactly what he would have done, and though he felt guilty for not being here for Hinata and Izoukei, he knew that he would have come to resent them both for keeping him in Konoha.

'I feel bad that you were here alone,' he said finally.

'You don't need to feel bad, Sasuke. Izoukei brings only joy to my life. I will never regret him, or you,' Hinata protested, looking up at him fondly.

Sasuke walked to stand in front of her, looking down at her features as if memorising them. She had grown even more beautiful while he had been away, and she had given birth to their wonderful son. He didn't know how long he would be staying this time, but he intended to get to know his son and train him to be a strong ninja.

As he pulled Hinata into a hug and breathed in her familiar scent, Sasuke knew that he was home, for now, and it was enough.

As last time, he was struck by how much the village had changed in his long absence. People that he knew had gotten married, had children, passed away, moved, defected. It was strange to think that the world had carried on, business as usual, without him around to witness it.

It hadn't taken long for him to run into his old team-mates, Naruto and Sakura, and he had stopped still as he stared at their son. It was… weird. The boy was only a few months younger than Izoukei and displayed all the loud, boisterous energy that his son thankfully lacked. He was pleased to find that his son was actually quite similar to himself at the same age, although Sasuke thought that he might be more similar to Itachi in looks.

The child had taken one look at him and hidden behind Sakura though, which had made him smirk. Naruto had then insisted on dragging Sasuke down to the local bar and reminiscing, which is why Sasuke now found himself squashed between Naruto and Kiba, watching on distastefully as they chucked down shots of sake in some sort of drinking game.

'I win!' Naruto yelled drunkenly as he launched to his feet in victory. Sasuke smirked openly when the blonde shinobi then fell to the floor, cursing loudly. Kiba managed to finish his last shot and then his head dropped down to the table as he passed out. Shino, who had been sitting on the other side of Kiba, put the young ninja over his shoulder and walked wordlessly from the bar.

'Yeah, you better walk away,' Naruto slurred from the floor. Sasuke shook his head, utterly bemused.

His attention was then caught by Neji, who was attempting to subdue a drunken Lee, who was dancing rather dangerously in the middle of the dance floor. Many people were knocked to the ground and Neji looked over at him beseechingly. With a flash, Sasuke appeared in front of Lee and caught him in a genjutsu with his Sharingan eyes.

'Bushy-brow,' Naruto mumbled as he watched Neji drag the still figure of Lee from the bar as well. Now it was just Naruto and Sasuke left, and he wondered if he too should ensure that his comrade got home safely. Sakura would be furious if he left Naruto in the bar in his current state, and the pink-haired kunoichi was strong enough and determined enough to make sure he'd regret it.

With a sigh, Sasuke helped Naruto stand and walk out of the bar. It had taken a very large amount of alcohol to get his blonde friend drunk, but he figured that this probably had to do something with the Kyuubi and his accelerated healing rate. Already Naruto seemed more coherent than ten minutes ago.

'Sassssuke, hic, missed you,' Naruto hiccuped. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

'Hn. You're drunk,' he responded.

'No, no,' Naruto insisted, 'I'm not, hic, drunk. Hic, I'm just happy you're back.' Naruto looked up at him with a large, cheesy grin, as if to illustrate how happy he was. Sasuke just scowled.

'Come on, dobe,' he said, dragging Naruto in the direction of his home. Unfortunately, they didn't get very far before Naruto pitched forward. Sasuke rolled him over and found that he had passed out. With an aggravated growl, he picked up the blonde ninja and carried him over his shoulder.

Sakura opened the door for them, and rolled her eyes at the state Naruto was in.

'Through here, Sasuke-kun,' she gestured towards a room down the hall. He carried Naruto through the house and dumped him on the bed carelessly. He might be a strong ninja, but carrying a full grown man was still difficult.

'Thanks,' Sakura said from the doorway, looking tenderly down at her husband. Sasuke shrugged and walked past her, back out into the street. She waved as she shut the door behind him but Sasuke pretended not to see. Uchihas don't wave.

Running quickly, he returned to Hinata's apartment, eager to see her after the long day he'd had. Tsunade had kept him in her office for most of the day, drilling him over the things he'd done in his four year absence and finding out what his future plans were. However, he had refused to make a decision about his future, and his son's future, without Hinata. Hopefully she would still be awake so that they could discuss it a little tonight.

When he slipped open the door, it was to find Hinata and Izoukei curled up together on the couch, asleep, a late night movie flickering on the television in front of them. He allowed himself a rare smile as he looked down at the only family he had left.

Tenderly, he lifted up Izoukei and carried the boy into his bedroom. Once he was tucked in, Sasuke stood over his bed, watching him sleep for a few minutes. It was an amazing feeling, seeing that little chest rise and fall, and thinking that this little being existed because of him. He, the avenger, had instead of taking life, created one.

Finally he returned to the lounge room to do the same for Hinata. Thankfully she didn't stir as he relocated her into her bedroom, allowing him soon time to study her unnoticed.

She had become an even stronger person over the last four years, and he regretted that he had been unable to stay in Konoha and witness her growth. The Hinata he had come to know when he had returned to Konoha had been a remarkable woman whose shyness hid her quiet strength. However, since she had become involved with him and given birth to Izoukei, she seemed to have come out of her shell even more. It pleased him.

As he gently lay her down onto the bed, he felt a wave of longing to renew his relationship with her, perhaps even stay in Konoha for good. It would be hard for him to stay in the village that he hated for manipulating and ruining his life, but he couldn't help but wonder if perhaps staying with Hinata would make it worthwhile.

I shall at least consider it, Sasuke vowed to himself, for her sake.

With a kiss to her forehead that made her mumble in her sleep and smile, Sasuke left the room.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

Hinata sat up abruptly, looking around her in confusion. She was in her bedroom with sunlight streaming in through her window. The last thing she could remember was lying on the couch with Izoukei, watching a late night movie. She had been trying to stay awake, wanting to talk to Sasuke about his meeting with the Lady Hokage.

I guess I fell asleep after all, she thought with a rueful smile. Stretching, she pushed the covers aside and got up. After a quick shower and change of clothes, she ventured into the kitchen. There was no sign of Sasuke or her son around but she could sense their chakra signals outside. Instead, she busied herself in the kitchen, preparing breakfast.

When everything was ready, Hinata ventured outside in search of her family. They hadn't gone very far, standing out in the garden facing each other. She went to stand by Sasuke and watched with interest, trying to understand what they were doing. To her, it merely looked like a staring contest. However, knowing Sasuke as she did, she knew it must have some purpose.

Faster than the eye could see, Sasuke whipped out a kunai and flung it towards Izoukei. The kunai flew straight past his ear, imbedding in a tree behind him. Hinata frowned as Sasuke growled.

'You're not trying,' he said with disapproval. Izoukei just shrugged, trying to look like it didn't bother him. This happened a few more times, and still there was no reaction from the young Uchiha.

Sasuke looked at Hinata, his gaze considering. Just as fast as before, he pulled out a kunai from his pouch and threw it towards her. She stood still and allowed it to fly towards her, understanding what Sasuke was trying to do. Seeing that his mother wasn't moving out of the way, Izoukei lunged towards her, his eyes bleeding red into the Sharingan as he threw a kunai to block the one hurtling towards her.

He crashed into her, knocking both of them flying. Hinata rolled easily, holding Izoukei close to her chest to prevent him from getting hurt. She stood up quickly, pulling her son up with her, brushing the dirt from his clothes with a small smile.

The two of them looked over at Sasuke. He was smirking, of course. Hinata laughed as Izoukei scowled in response. She ruffled his hair as she knelt down in front of him, studying his eyes carefully. They were both red, with two black tomoes and made him seem older and more serious than before. Her heart clenched, seeing the proof before her of how much her little warrior had grown.

'Izoukei, your Sharingan is nothing to be afraid of,' she said softly.

'What if I hurt someone again?' He asked her in a whisper. She pulled him close and kissed his forehead.

'Once you have control of it, then you won't hurt anyone. Sasuke is here to train you so that you can control it and become stronger. That's why you have to train hard, do you understand?' She said reassuringly. Izoukei released the Sharingan and nodded, although he still looked a little tense.

Sasuke walked over to them, having gathered the kunai from where they had been thrown. Izoukei looked up at him warily, and flinched as Sasuke flicked him on the forehead.

'You did well, Izoukei,' he said quietly. The little boy flushed, looking pleased at the unexpected praise. Was this what it was like to have a real father, someone who was around, to train you and make you stronger? Sasuke smiled at Hinata and followed her and his son inside for breakfast.

They ate in comfortable silence. Hinata looked from her son to Sasuke with a smile, comparing their looks and mannerisms in a way she had been unable to do before. Izoukei looked different to Sasuke; his hair was longer, due to his refusal to ever have his hair cut so that it would be long like hers, and bound with a leather strap that Neji had given him so that it didn't get in the way.

However, in their mannerisms they were actually quite similar. Both were quiet, introverted and preferred silence than excessive talking, which made them good listeners, she supposed. Izoukei had also inherited his father's fondness for tomatoes, but he still enjoyed sweets, thank goodness. Although she understood Sasuke's reluctance to eat them now, she still thought it was unnatural. They were certainly a weakness of hers, especially cinnamon buns.

She also thought it was adorable that the two of them were stealing glances at each other, although Sasuke was obviously far more subtle about it. It made her heart fill with happiness to see them so interested in each other, it made her hope that they would salvage some sort of a father/son relationship, something she had feared that Izoukei would never have.

After breakfast was over, Izoukei wandered outside and Hinata waited for Sasuke to tell her about his meeting. He stared out the window for a few minutes, watching his son as he walked around in the garden Hinata so meticulously cared for. Eventually he turned his attention back to her and cleared his throat.

'He's so young,' Sasuke said with a frown. 'I was nearly thirteen before my Sharingan manifested; even Itachi was eight before it happened. I'm worried.' Hinata chewed on her bottom lip, wondering what it meant for her Izoukei.

'When it happened,' Hinata admitted, 'I thought that it might be because the two of you are the only members of the Uchiha clan left. I mean, I did some research, and the Sharingan seems to be tied in with survival. Even twelve is quite young for it to manifest, and it happened with you because of the danger you and your team were in due to that escort mission. Itachi, well his was probably because of the aftermath of the war. Quite a few of the clan were killed because of it, so it manifested to compensate. That's my theory anyway.'

Sasuke considered it, musing that she was probably right. The Uchiha Clan had many rites of passage, and the manifestation of the Sharingan was the final sign that as a shinobi, you were ready to be accepted into the council as an adult Uchiha. During times of peace, it rarely occurred before the age of sixteen, except when the Uchiha in question was particularly gifted in the Sharingan arts.

'It's possible,' he said with a shrug, 'but what should we do? Tsunade couldn't see any way of training him without people finding out the truth about his Sharingan, and therefore... us.'

Sasuke stared down at the table, frustrated as he tried to think of what to do. He didn't want to stay in this village, not while the elders were stilled allowed to keep their positions, not while the memories of Konoha's betrayal was still fresh in his mind. On the other hand though, Izoukei needed him, needed to be trained in the ways of the Sharingan, and the Uchiha. It was his responsibility not only as a father, but as the head of the clan.

Hinata watched as emotions flickered across Sasuke's face, almost too fast for to read. She knew him too well, and she could see the decision he was coming to before he did.

'You're taking him with you,' she said softly, not a question, but a statement of fact. Sasuke looked at her stricken face and nodded slowly. He was doing it again, breaking her heart and stealing away her future. It made him feel terrible, but as before, it was the only conceivable option.

She stood up, making herself busy in the kitchen, cleaning the breakfast dishes and avoiding his gaze. He got the message. She needed some time to come to term with this, some time to think.

He stood at the front door, waved to her and then began to walk casually through Konoha in search of Naruto. The blonde would probably be up for a spar and it would kill two birds with one stone; he'd be able to get rid of some of his pent-up energy, and more importantly, he'd be out of Hinata's way.

No one would venture near the training ground, terrified of the inhuman snarls and grunts that echoed from it. The two shinobi pitted their full strength against each other, forcing the other to become stronger, think faster and keep up their insane stamina.

It went on for hours until they finally collapsed, exhausted, on either side of the small clearing. Naruto laughed as he looked up into the sky, feeling happy and free. This is what he had missed; their rivalry, the constant push to improve his skills and the elation of fighting against someone who equalled him in strength. It was exhilarating.

Sasuke merely leaned up against a tree, panting to catch his breath as he allowed his thoughts to trickle back into his mind. This was why he needed to fight, and why it could only be Naruto. He needed to push himself enough that all other thoughts vanished into the background, allowing him to focus on only the fight. It helped him to think things through.

He knew that he had made the right choice regarding Izoukei. Hinata wouldn't like it, but in the end she would agree as well. The boy needed his father and what he could offer him, not only control of the Sharingan, but a place in the Uchiha Clan. Izoukei was his only heir. He was precious. He needed to be strong.

If only he could think of a way to remove him from Konoha without raising suspicion or hurting Hinata. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. It would come to him eventually.

He looked over at Naruto, who was just now sitting up. Sasuke struggled to his feet, and together they trudged towards the village. No words needed to be spoken. They both knew where they were going.

'Three pork ramen,' Naruto ordered enthusiastically as he sat down at Ichiraku's. Sasuke motioned for one serving of the same and sat next to him, sighing deeply. Coming back to this place reminded him of all the times in previous years that they had sat in this exact position, although normally there had been Sakura or Kakashi to join them.

Those memories were tainted now, and they hurt, filling him with longing for a future that didn't exist anymore. It was an ache in his chest and the longer he stayed in this village, the harder it was to breathe. The pain gnawed at him, crushed him, the air oppressed him. It could not be endured.

He stared down at his bowl, wondering how to broach this topic with the man he considered his best friend. Naruto wouldn't take it well that he was leaving again, not unless he knew the truth, the whole, entire, painful truth.

Perhaps it was finally time.

'Naruto,' he said quietly. The blonde looked up from his third bowl, his mouth full of noodles.

'Hmmph?'

'We should go see Tsunade, get a mission,' Sasuke suggested. Naruto's eyes bulged and he swallowed.

'Just the two of us?' He asked, looking eager. Sasuke nodded and Naruto sat back on his stool laughing freely.

'It's been a long time since we went on a mission together,' Naruto said with satisfaction. 'Let's go see baa-chan right now!' They put their money on the table and walked through the village together to the Hokage tower.

Sasuke stuffed his hands in his pockets and listened as Naruto rambled on his usual way about any topic that came to his mind. He was bragging about his son Shinriku and the progress he had been making in the past few months. Sasuke's chest began to ache in a different way as he imagined talking of his own son in that way. He couldn't, which troubled him. Izoukei had been forced to grow up without a father, and while he didn't doubt that Sai and Neji and the rest of Hinata's male friends would have tried to bridge the gap, it wasn't the same as the bond between father and son.

They got the mission that they were looking for, an easy scroll delivery mission to the next region. Sasuke barely listened to the instructions and when Naruto left he waved the other boy on and vowed to meet him in an hour.

Tsunade stared at him, her hands clasped in front of her face. He had been avoiding talking to her in the few days since he arrived, despite the decision he and Hinata had made about seeking her advice. The blonde woman would understand, but she would also be very angry with him, and after everything she had done for him, he was reluctant to invite her disappointment or anger.

'Why?' She asked.

'I'm going to tell him the truth,' Sasuke told her. 'He deserves to know.'

'He deserved to know years ago,' Tsunade said dismissively, 'but why now? What has changed? Why did you come back?'

'Hinata asked me to come back. Izoukei manifested his Sharingan,' Sasuke stated simply. Tsunade's eyes widened.

'So soon? He's a child,' she whispered. He nodded, still feeling the shock of it himself. His son was so young, and so very vulnerable.

'I must make a request of you, Hokage-sama,' Sasuke said respectfully.

'Very well, I will hear your request,' she responded.

'For the same reasons as before, I cannot stay. I wish Izoukei to come with me. He is vulnerable here and needs to be trained in the ways of the Sharingan and the Uchiha,' he said.

'You intend to rip him from his mother and his village?' She asked, snarling at him. He was right, she was furious.

'I always meant to teach him. I would not allow my son to remain ignorant of his heritage forever. He is very young but I cannot ignore that in the eyes of the Uchiha clan, the manifestation of the Sharingan is the rite of passage into adulthood,' he explained.

'The clan is gone,' Tsunade said coldly.

'While I draw breath, and while my child draws breath, the clan will never be dead,' he responded just as coldly.

'What about Hinata? How do you think she will feel when you take away her child?' Tsunade hissed. Sasuke's gut twisted at the question as guilt thrummed through his body. He had put poor Hinata through so much, hurt her so much, and now he had to do it again. He was terrible for her in every way.

'For most Uchiha, the Sharingan doesn't manifest until 16. I had thought that he would be nearly a grown man before I needed to return. I did not foresee this, but it cannot be helped. Hinata understands that this is necessary,' he said. Tsunade looked at him, truly studied him. She could see that he was completely earnest in his request. There was nothing she could do.

'Very well, Uchiha, but don't expect me to help you. Make your own lies and excuses about why you are taking a woman's four year old son from this village. I wipe my hands of this entire matter,' she vowed. She then waved her hand in dismissal as she poured herself some sake.

That went better than expected, he thought as he left the office.


End file.
